There is something deeply satisfying about making a big hearty pot of soup.
Not just a small pot for lunch, but a generous, nourishing, main-meal soup that fills the kitchen with warmth and gives you enough to enjoy now, save for later, and perhaps even tuck a few portions into the freezer.
This Pork Hock Minestrone Soup is exactly that sort of recipe.
The pork hock is first cooked in chicken stock until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. In the Ninja 11-in-1, this happens beautifully under pressure in around one hour. The result is a rich, savoury broth with lovely depth, ready to become the base of a hearty minestrone-style soup.
From there, the soup is built with onions, garlic, crushed tomato, beans, cabbage, mixed vegetables, Italian herbs and Lupins for Life Lupin Kibble. The lupin kibble gives the soup body, texture and extra protein, while also keeping the recipe gluten-free.
This is not a thin, delicate soup. It should be thick, generous and almost stew-like — the sort of bowl that becomes dinner, especially when finished with parmesan, parsley and a piece of toasted ciabatta or sourdough on the side.
This recipe makes approximately 5 litres of soup, which makes it ideal for bulk cooking. Serve some straight away, then cool, portion and store the rest for easy meals during the week.
Serves: Makes approximately 5 litres
Cooking Method: Ninja 11-in-1 pressure cooker, with stovetop option
Cooking Time: 1 hour under pressure, plus simmering time
Skill Level: Easy to moderate
Best For: Winter comfort food, bulk cooking, meal prep, gluten-free option, pressure cooker confidence
This soup is designed to be thick and generous. Think of it more as a meal in a bowl than a light entrée.
Scoring the pork hock skin before cooking is optional, but helpful. You only need to cut lightly through the skin, not deep into the meat. It helps the hock cook evenly and makes the skin easier to remove after pressure cooking.
The pork hock gives the stock a beautiful savoury flavour and body. Once the meat is removed from the bone and added back into the soup, it turns a simple vegetable and bean soup into something much more satisfying.
The lupin kibble is doing an important job here. It adds texture, body and protein, while helping keep the soup gluten-free. If you do not need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can replace the lupin kibble with small pasta.
If using pasta instead of lupin, add it towards the end of cooking so it does not overcook and become too soft.
If the soup becomes too thick as it sits, simply add a little extra water or stock when reheating until you reach the consistency you like.
This recipe can also be made in a large pot on the stove.
Place the pork hock into a large soup pot with the chicken stock. Bring it to a gentle simmer, then cook slowly for approximately 2–3 hours, or until the pork is tender and pulling away from the bone.
Once the hock is tender, remove it from the pot, allow it to cool slightly, then remove the skin and bones. Chop the meat and return it to the pot.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the soup is thick and hearty.
The stovetop method takes longer, but the result is still beautiful. The Ninja simply helps you achieve that tender pork hock result much faster.
This is a great recipe for understanding the value of bulk cooking.
When you are already taking the time to build flavour from a pork hock and stock, it makes sense to cook a generous amount. This recipe makes approximately 5 litres of soup, which gives you enough for a family meal, lunches during the week, or portions for the freezer.
Bulk cooking is not just about making more food. It is about cooking once and giving yourself options.
A soup like this reheats well, becomes even more flavourful the next day, and can be portioned into containers for easy meals when you do not feel like cooking from scratch.
Allow the soup to cool before storing.
For food safety, do not leave a large pot of hot soup sitting on the bench for too long. Divide it into smaller containers so it cools more quickly.
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for later. Leave a little space at the top of each container, as the soup will expand slightly as it freezes.
When reheating, warm gently in a pot on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot.
Because this soup is thick, you may need to add a splash of water or stock when reheating to loosen the consistency.
This soup is gluten-free when made with lupin kibble and gluten-free chicken stock.
If serving with bread, choose gluten-free bread if you need the whole meal to remain gluten-free.
If gluten-free is not required, toasted ciabatta or sourdough makes a lovely side.
This soup should be served generously.
Use a deep bowl and make sure each portion has a good balance of pork, vegetables, beans and broth.
Finish with shredded parmesan and chopped parsley just before serving. The parmesan adds savoury richness, while the parsley gives freshness and colour.
Serve with toasted ciabatta or sourdough for those who want something to mop up the bowl, but the soup itself is already substantial enough to stand alone as a complete meal.
For a more traditional minestrone style, you can replace the lupin kibble with small pasta. Add the pasta near the end of cooking and simmer only until tender.
You could also add extra greens such as spinach, silverbeet or kale towards the end of cooking.
For a richer tomato flavour, add a spoonful of tomato paste when adding the crushed tomatoes.
For a little warmth, add a pinch of chilli flakes or a touch of smoked paprika.
This is the sort of soup that reminds us why one-pot cooking is so valuable.
A pork hock, good stock, vegetables, beans and a little time can create something deeply nourishing and full of flavour.
The Ninja helps us get there faster, but the real lesson is in building a soup properly: start with flavour, let the ingredients do their work, and make enough so tomorrow’s meal is already taken care of.
This is comfort food, bulk cooking and smart kitchen confidence all in one pot.